Water ski tow line fastening bar



Jan. 12, 1960 c. l. NxELsEN WATER SKI TOW LINE FASTENING BAR Filed Nov. 12, 1957 r- TTORNEQS'.

United States 4Patent y WATER SKI TOW LINE FASTENING BAR Chester I. Nielsen, WestBend, Wis., assignor to Weshar Stamping Corporation, West Bend, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application November 12, 1957, Serial No. 695,776

z claims. (cl. 114-235) The linvention relates to improvements in water ski tow line fastening bars, and more particularly to that type of fastening bar which is curved to surround the rear portion of an outboard motor.

The general object of the tow line fastening bars of the type described is to eliminate the possibility of the tow line tangling with the motor or propeller and to avoid the danger of tipping the boat which may occur if it is attemptedv to attach a tow rope off center with respect to the boat transom. In addition, curved fastening bars of the type described allow the tow rope to ride around on the bar, depending upon the angle of the skier, and yet invariably extend in a line from the center point of the transom, which is highly desirable in water skiing.

The present invention comprises a novel fastening bar of the type described wherein certain changes and improvements have been made in the means heretofore employed in attaching the bar to a boat. The general objective of the invention is to provide an improved fastening bar which is self-locking in operative position, which can be tilted upwardly from operative position, and which is readily detachable from the boat when desired.

A more specic object of the present invention is to provide in combination a fastening bar having protruding pins formed near its ends, and a pair of slotted retaining brackets affixed to the rear of a boat, the unique slot and pin arrangement providing a novel attaching means which permits simple installation, upward tilting, or quick re-y moval of the bar.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fastening bar in which the end portions are bent downwardly to act as stops in limiting downward pivotal movement of the bar and to normally urge the pins into locking relationship with the bracket slots.

A further object of the invention is lto provide a water ski tow line fastening bar which may be removed from a boat only after the outboard motor has been raised out of the water to an inoperative position, the normal position of the motor obstructing the removal of the bar and thereby preventing its inadvertent detachment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a water ski tow line fastening bar which is strong,I durable, well adapted for the purposes described, and which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, the design and construction of the brackets being such that theycan be economically stamped from metal.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved water ski tow line fastening bar, and all of its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claim, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved water ski tow line fastening bar showing it attached to the stern of a motor boat;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a retaining bracket, show- -ends 13 forming-trunnions.

r' 2,920,598 Patented Jan. 12, 1960 ing a portion of a fastening bar in a position to engage the bracket when lowered;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view Vshowing an end of the fastening bar being retained in operative position by the bracket, the broken lines indicating the position of the parts when the bracket is attached to the angular transom of a boat;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the apparatus of Fig. 3, showing a portion of thefastening bar in operative posi-v tion within a bracket; and Y Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the fastening bar in position on the stern of a' boat, and showing, in broken lines, positions of the bar and outboardkmotor necessary for the installation or removal of the bar.

Referringmore particularly to the drawings, itwill appear that the improved water ski 'tow'line fastening bar, comprising the present invention, consistsof a 'pair of retaining brackets 11 permanently attached to the transom of a boat 12,l and an arcuate or substantially semi-circular fastening bar 10 removably carried by said retaining brackets.

As is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the end portions of the fastening'bar '10 are bent obliquely downwardly as at 10', and are provided with transverse pins having protruding The brackets 11 are provided with L-shaped slots 14, the shorter rearwardly extending slot arm 14 being slightly oblique'to compensate for the angle of a boats stern, which slots are adapted to engage and retain the pins 13. y

' It will be noticed that the bent end portions 10y of the fastening bar 10` permit the insertion of the pins 13 in-to the bracketl slots 14 only when the bar is'in an almost upright position, as shown in Fig. 2 and in position C of Fig. 5. In order to install or remove the bar 10, therefore, it is flrst necessary to tilt the outboard motor 15 to a nearly horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 5, as otherwise the rear of lthe motor would obstruct upward tilting movement of the bar to the position C of Fig. 5. This feature is an extremely important element of the present invention, as the motor when in operating position of Fig. l prevents the accidental removal or loss 0f the bar from its retaining brackets. u

To remove the bar after the motor has been raised to the position of Fig.v 5, it is merely necessary to swing the bar upwardly and rearwardly, as shown in views B and C of Fig. 5, and to then pull the same upwardly from position C through the vertical portions of the bracket slots `1-4.

The bent nature of the bar ends 10 also serves to assure the proper horizontal positioning of the assembled bar, as the contact of the bar ends with the rear walls of the retaining bracket limits downward movement of the bar. In addition, the bent ends `10 of the bar contribute to the novel self-locking characteristic of the improved tow line fastening bar. As can readily be seen in Fig. 3, the bent portions of the bar 10 rock against the mounting walls 11' of the retaining brackets 11. When downward or forward pressure is applied to the bar 10, said end portions 10' rock against the walls 11' of the brackets. The effect of this pressure is to force the pins 13 outwardly and firmly against the closed ends of the horizontal slots 114. Thus, the greater the pulling force, the tighter the bar stays in place. Ordinarily, the weight of the bar itself, co-acting with the force of gravity, exerts a pressure suicient to accomplish this desired result. The increased pull exerted by a water skiier, however, greatly increases this locking action and further lessens the possibility of accidental disengagement of the bar.

In practice, the retaining brackets 11, which are U-shaped in section, are permanently mounted on the transom of a motor boat by bolts 16, or other suitable means, and the ends of the curved bar 10 are tted into the spaced brackets while the motor is in the position of Fig. 5. The L-shaped bracket slots 14 combine with the bar pins 13 to proide attaching means which are unusually simple, but effective. The bar is then swung downwardly to a horizontal position and a tow line 20 snapped, or otherwise fastened, onto a ring 17 on a block 18 of-a pulley 19. When Skiing is being done, the pulley 19 rides back and forth on the bar, depending upon the angle of the" skier,

To remove the fastening bar, as when the boat is to be repaired or stored for the winter, or when it is not desired to use it, it is merely necessary to tilt the outboard motor to a near-horizontal position as in Fig. and to lift the bar from its brackets.

The improved water ski tow line fastening bar comprising the present invention has overcome several failings inherent in prior fastening devices of this general type, and constitutes a definite advancement in the art. The brackets can be stamped from an aluminum alloy, or other suitable material, and are relatively inexpensive to manufacture, in addition to being strong and durable, and well adapted for the purposes described.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a boat having an outboard motor attached to the transom thereof for tiltable movement from operative to inoperative position, a U-shaped bracket connected to said transom on each side of the motor, a curved tow line fastening bar having downwardly bent ends, laterally protruding trunnion pins formed near each end of said bar near the bend thereof,

said brackets having downwardly and rearwardly outwardly extending L-shaped slots removably receiving said trunnion pins, the bent ends of the bar being in engagement with bracket portions to urge the pins into locking engagement with the bracket slots when downward or rearward forces are applied to the bar, and prevent withdrawal of said bar and pins from the bracket slots when the bar is in operative position, said bar being so positioned with respect to the outboard motor and being of such limited extent in a rearward direction that upward tilting 0f the bar is normally obstructed by the motor whereby tilting of the motor to inoperative position is a prerequisite to removal or installation of said bar.

2. In combination with a boat having an outboard motor attached to the transom thereof for tiltable movement from operative to inoperative position, a bracket connected to said transom on each side of the motor, a curved tow line fastening bar having ends, cooperating means on said bar ends and brackets engageable only by movement from above only when the bar is in an upright plane pivotally connecting the bar to said transom, said bar being so positioned with respect to the outboard motor and being of such limited extent in a rearward direction that upward tilting of the bar is normally obstructed by the motor whereby tilting of the motor to inoperative position is a prerequisite to removal or installation of said bar.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 377,907 Pell Feb. 14, 1888 1,675,718 Lynch July 3, 1928 2,841,353 Burdick July 1, 1958 2,872,889 Johnson Feb. 10, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 505,852 Great Britain May 17, 1939 

